Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-07-29

to move about; but neither was there at
home with five in q bed. He felt rather
lonely, and would willingly have ex-
changed the sound of the surf for the
sociable snoring 10 which he was accus.
toned; but none of these considerations
kept him awake long.
1t was nearly midnight when he was
Startled out of sound sleep by a strange
noise close to his head, as if someone
were pounding on the gun. His heart
beat furiously, and he turned cold with
fear. The sound ceased after time, and
he heard footsteps on the sand.
General, like most of his race was firm
believer in ghosts, and as he peered eau
tiously forth from the mouth of the gun,
he more than half expected to behold
some unearthly visitant. He was not q
little relieved, therefore, to see an object
looking very much like mortal man
walking along the shore. When the man
turned toward the gan again, General
drew back his heal tortoise-like and olid
down into the oavernous depths. He
heard the foot steps coming nearer and
HcHltT. NOW ue WIS SuIG LuS IudH WAS
leaning against the gun.
Again there was that strange sound, but
this time General rightly guessed it to be
only the tapping Of fingers on the iron.
Soon he heard other steps on the sand,
and voice said, "You, Jim2"
"Yes, was the reply; 'and no fun git.
tin here, neither"
Tbon foIIOwa6 a nonvarcotiOn YnOef M
which was too low for Generals ears.
II tell you 'taint safe" at last he heard,
in louder tones. There's allus a gyuard
on there"
Generals interest increased, and he
forgot the desire to cough which had tor.
mented him a moment previous. The
murmur of voices continued; but, though
he listened with all attention, it was
long before he distinguished any othel
words. He judged from the sound oi
the voices that the two men disagreed on
some Point. At last he was sure one OF
them said :"Well, we'll try t'other house.
There's quite parcel of people there,
and likely well git something for oul
trouble"
"Are you sure there amt no dog3 ask ed
the other.
eyes, dead sure" was the reply Then
the men walked away, and General was
left alone once more. AS soon as he
dared move, he put out his head, and
looked up and down the beach.
All was quiet. The neighboring
beacon made broad, shining pathway
on the water; the lights on the ships in
the harbor glimmered family.
General tried to compose himself fol
another nap, but he could not help think.
ing about what he had heard. He be.
lieved that the men were planning to
break into some house, but where and
when he knew not.
"'Taint safe; dars allus a gyuard
on, ," he repeated. dat night mean dc
hotel. 'Tother place quite parcel oil
people-no dog. >"
General suddenly scrambled out OF
the gun upon the sand. 1t had occurred
to him that "t'other place" must near
Miss Benson's, where the pretty lady
lived whose words had so impressed him
a few days before.
"Dar'll be gyuard on dar, too, to.
night" he said, as he started off down
the beach. ''Reckon dey didn't think g
gun had ears"
The street was deserted, and all was
perfectly still as General crept noisclessly
along on his bare feet past the hotel to-
ward Miss Benson's.
1t was long, low building, lying neal
the shore, and not far from the main
road. At first he thought he would ring
the bell and give warning; but when he
reached the door he changed his mind.
Thi3 might not, after all, be the house
the men were talking about; and, even
if it were, who would believe his story
No, he must watch and wait for further
developments. He withdrew, and sat
down on the ground behind some shrub
berry. AS time passed on and nothing
happened to break the monotony of his
vigal, his excitement subsidized, and he
began to feel sleepy.
General was Just thinking it was all
foolishness on his part, and that he might
as well lie down under the shrubbery and
take a nap, when dark form glided
through the yard, and disappeared round
the corner of the house. 1t looked like
a man with pack on his back.
General crept out of the shrubbery,
and stole softly after him, keeping close
to the wall of the house. His plan was to
ring the door bell loud and long, as soon
as he discovered anything amiss; but he
would not do that till he was sure there
was cause for alarm.
General followed him quietly at safe
distance. Once the man stopped sud
denly and looked back as if he heard
something With beating heart, General
pressed close against the wall and stood
motionless until the stranger passed on
again. He turned another corner which
brought him on the side toward the
water, laid down his mysterious burden,
and walked toward the shore, where
there was a small wharf to which two or
three rowboats were fastened. Here
another man joined him.
He, too, carried something, which the
first took from him, and, after a few
whispered words, brought to the same
place where he had left his own bundle.
Generals interest was now much
greater than his alarm. He could not see
that the men were doing any harm. Why
did they not try door or window, if
they wished to commit robbery
Yet there was something about their
conduct that he did not understand
They evidently did not wish to be seen
or heard, and General had his suspicious
that it would go hard with him were he
discovered.
There was large tree few yards dis
tant, which he thought would afford a
safe retreat; but he dared not cross the
open space between, lest one of the men
should see him. So he lay fiat on the
ground close to the house, where he could
peer around the corner to see what was